Some Tips for Healthy Mums

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Mums thrive in cool weather, so wait for a week when the forecast calls for temperatures in the 60s or low 70s before making your purchase. Higher temperatures can cause them to bloom quickly, but the blooms won't last nearly as long. If you can't wait, consider moving them to a cool space, either indoors or somewhere well shaded during the hottest part of the day.

If you love the look of your mums, and want to enjoy them longer, consider purchasing and planting hardy mums. Mums have a better chance of returning if they are planted in the Spring, but mums can be planted in the Fall.

Purchasing Fall Mums

Check the moisture in the soil.
Dry as a bone, this mum hasn't been watered.
Very wet and soggy, overwatered,.
Moist enough for a few particles to cling to your skin - Perfect!
Bruised, bent, or broken stems = pick another.

Success For Potted Mums

Soak in a few inches of water in a bucket for about 20-60 min. Mums drink from the roots up
Re-pot your mum, after soaking it. Loosen & trim any long, tangled roots, add compost-rich soil
Place in the sunniest spot you can find (at least six hours of sun a day)

Watering Mums

Mums drink from the roots up. When watering your mum, it's best to water it from the roots. Avoid splashing or getting any water on the leaves. For potted mums, place a tray or plate under the pot and keep it filled with water. For mums in the ground, soaking the ground around the plant is best. Under-Watering Signs: Wilting in the morning, dry soil below the surface, and bud drop. Over-Watering Signs: Yellowing lower leaves, soft stems at soil level, and still-wet soil two days after watering.

Keeping Mums For More Than One Season

You can bring your mums inside for the winter after the first hard frost. Place them in a cool dark place like your basement or attached garage. Water is easiest if you simply place the pots in a shallow water pan. Or you can water about once a month. When the last frost of spring has passed, you can place them outside in a sunny spot or plant them directly in the ground. You will need to prune and pinch plants until mid-July.

Fall Planting

Select plants that have not bloomed yet.
Plant as soon as possible
Select a sunny location
Create a hole 2x larger than the circumference & 2x deeper than the pot.
Add compost to the soil before returning it to the hole
Set mums 18-24 inches apart
The crown should be right at or slightly above ground level
Backfill & press firmly to eliminate air pockets
Water in thoroughly
Mulch with shredded bark, leaves or straw a height of 2 inches except near the crown
After the first hard frost (<30 degrees F), add 2 more inches of mulch

Pruning and Pinching

Pinching off the tip makes the plant branch out, leading each branch to grow its own flower buds. Pinched mums offer many more blooms than those left alone. If you don't like the leggy look, remove the tips of stems early in the season to encourage branching. Repeat the process every two weeks until mid-July. Winterize your in-ground mums by keeping them unpruned. For more protection, add four to six inches of mulch after the ground freezes over.